Franck Muller Piano: I like this quieter dial much more

I like this Franck Muller more than I expected to, mostly because the dial leaves the curved case room to be the interesting part. The glossy black face, small power-reserve display and gold-colored hands are restrained enough that I can pay attention to the shape. I would rather look at this than a face covered in oversized distorted numerals, even if those numerals are what many people associate with the brand.

The Grand Cintrée Curvex Piano 7 Days Power Reserve comes in two Japan-market executions. Reference CX36S6PRFOPIANOJ ACNR3N mixes steel and yellow gold in a run of 50, while CX36S6PRFOPIANOJ 3NACNR reverses the material emphasis in a run of 20. They share the Piano design and manual movement, so they belong together as material choices within this release.

The maker describes 20 layers of piano-black finish on the dial. I like the nearly empty surface in the official photographs, with the small reserve hand at about ten providing a detail that has a reason to be there. I would want to see it under ordinary room light. A dark polished dial can look wonderfully deep in one photograph and turn into a mirror in another.

The manual Caliber 1700 has a stated 170-hour reserve, a little over seven days. That is a genuinely useful feature in a hand-wound watch. I am much more likely to appreciate winding something once a week than to remember a daily ritual perfectly, although I would still need to understand how the reserve indicator behaves near the end of the run.

Current reporting gives dimensions of 53.1 by 36 mm. The long axis is the number that would make me hesitate, even with the case's curve. I can't tell from a front view whether the ends would follow my wrist or stick past it. I haven't worn this case, and I wouldn't turn the brand's description of a wrist-hugging shape into my own fit verdict.

The Japanese maker page describes everyday water resistance without an established numerical rating in the material checked. The exact crystal and strap material also remain unverified here. I would ask those questions, along with service cost and winding feel, before treating the seven-day movement as a complete ownership proposition.

The official Japanese listings give ¥4,818,000 and ¥5,830,000 including tax. They date Ginza Six early sale to November 6 and national sale to November 12, 2026. The first announcement day and US rollout are unresolved, and no verified USD price was found as of November 7.

I'm giving it 87 out of 120 bezel clicks. I like the black dial and quieter treatment, with the long case the thing I would need to try before getting carried away.